2016 Season Review: Jimmie Johnson

Jimmie Johnson started off what would become a legendary 2016 season on a strong note, winning the second race of the year at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The Hendrick Motorsports driver led 52 laps in a race that ended in overtime and under caution. The victory tied Dale Earnhardt's 76-win mark and essentially punched his ticket to the Chase with the win. But Johnson's fiery start to 2016 was just heating up.

It's a bird, it's a plane ... no, it's Jimmie Johnson! Johnson's No. 48 Lowe's Superman Chevrolet soared to victory at his home track of Auto Club Speedway on March 20. Teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. also carried a superhero -- Batman -- on his car this race and the pair jested on Twitter in the days leading up to the race.

Unfortunately for the No. 48 crew, Johnson's period of good fortune blew up in smoke during his summer stretch. He crashed out of four of the nine races from the June Pocono race through Watkins Glen in August, leading only five laps during the period and finishing four races 32nd or worse. It didn't appear to be the year of #Se7en for Johnson & crew chief Chad Knaus -- or so everyone thought.

Johnson's summer slump was brightened slightly by his lone premier series pole of the season at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July. He turned a fast lap of 133.971 mph to earn the top starting position in a race where he would finish 12th.

Despite a mediocre midseason showing, Johnson's early pair of wins secured him a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, joining teammate Chase Elliott in the playoffs. Johnson is the only premier series driver to make the Chase every year since the format debuted in 2004. The pressure of the Chase can be high and many counted the No. 48 team out early -- but Johnson was about to surprise many.

The Round of 16 of the Chase didn't produce any wins for the No. 48 team, but it did showcase Johnson's newfound consistency and speed. He appeared to be on the cusp of his first Chicagoland win when a speeding penalty marred his chances. At Dover, a pit road penalty also took him out of contention for the win. Nonetheless, 12th-, eighth- and seventh-place finishes at Chicago, Loudon and Dover respectively secured the No. 48 a spot in the next round of the Chase.

Johnson turned up the heat in the Round of 12 of the Chase, leading 155 of 334 laps en route to victory in the round-opening Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Oct. 9. The win secured him a spot in the Round of 8, leaving Johnson the option to cruise the next two races -- Kansas and Talladega -- without fear of elimination. This marked the first year since the new Chase format debuted in 2014 that Johnson has advanced to the Round of 8.

Victory came in a timely fashion again for the No. 48 team in the opening race of the Round of 8. Johnson moved past Denny Hamlin for the lead with 92 laps to go and held on for his ninth career win -- and grandfather clock -- at the Paperclip. The win awarded Johnson a spot in the Championship 4 finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway -- and a chance to compete for his record-tying seventh title.

Meet 'Seven-Time.' Johnson's championship run at Miami started with adversity, as the No. 48 Chevrolet was forced to start from the back of the field because of unapproved adjustments. Circumstances played in Johnson's favor, as he made his way to the front and led the final three laps for the coveted win and seventh championship. Johnson's seventh crown made history, tying Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty for the most championships in premier series history.

From one champion to another: The most decorated Olympian of all-time, Michael Phelps, introduced the new seven-time champion during the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards show in Las Vegas. During his acceptance speech, Johnson paid tribute to Earnhardt and Petty, the legends he matched with his seventh title, and used a portion of Earnhardt's speech from his seventh title.